Thirteen Factory Street: The Hongs of Canton 1830s

thirteen factory street

the hongs of canton 1830s

In the middle of the nineteenth century, the foreigners’ town in Canton was the trading hub of the Oriental world, where European trading powers and Chinese merchants came together to keep trade afloat against the dramatic backdrop of their respective countries’ political and colonial struggles for supremacy. Our committee will be the story of how the convoluted threads of East-West trade, both legal and illegal, wove their ways beyond the borders of the town into the political, social and military spaces of the Empires of the East and West.

The trading factories set the stage for the interactions of myriad interest groups including the Chinese Empire, the Cantonese customs and elite bureaucracy, Hong merchants, foreign traders, and the subaltern figures who managed the day to day working. All actors collectively sought to maximize trade, while covertly undercutting one another for the largest slice of the spoils.

As the shadow of the illegal opium trade looms over from the West, cracks in the factory system appear and begin to take down with them the intricately arranged web of politics and trade. Will the Canton trade survive, or will this be the end?

greg adams

Chair

Greg is going to be your Chair for Thirteen Factory Street: The Hongs of Canton. This is his fourth year doing ChoMUN: he staffed “Boris Yeltsin’s Last Drink” his first year, chaired “Vote as you Shoot: Cabinet of Ulysses S. Grant” his second year, and last year, he crisis directed NATO 1950. He also helps staff MUNUC, our high school conference, and is one of the head delegates for our travelling team.

He is currently a fourth year Public Policy major in the college. Outside of classes and Model U.N., he is in a fraternity, AEPi, and enjoys running and playing pick-up basketball and soccer.

Feel free to contact him with any questions at gregorytadams@gmail.com

srikanth krishnan

Crisis Director

Srikanth will be one of your Co-Crisis Directors along with Priyanka! This is his second year doing ChoMUN and first as a committee executive. Last year he staffed Siamese Revolution, and he is looking forward to building on that with the Thirteen Factories. He is also the DISEC chair for MUNUC, U of C's high school conference, as well as a member of its travel team.

Srikanth is a second year student studying economics and public policy in the college, with an interest in history. He works at UChicago's Institute of Politics, does policy research for a DC think tank, and watches more BuzzFeed videos than are healthy for his GPA.

Any questions on the substantive or crisis elements of committee? Feel free to message him at srikanthkrishnan159@gmail.com.

All the best, and see you at ChoMUN!

priyanka sethy

CRISIS DIRECTOR

Priyanka is a fourth year in the college, majoring in political science and minoring in English. She is a princess – despite the fact that she denies it (and it’s not technically true) – but like all Indian royalty, she keeps a harem, enjoys a good cup of tea, and relishes thrilling games of cricket. When not tripping over herself and spilling her tea, Priyanka can be found in search of the perfect hot toddy, railing against the patriarchy, or stress-booking flights to all around the world.

Priyanka was the Director of Delegate Affairs for ChoMUN XIX, SecGen for ChoMUN India, Chair on Queen Elizabeth I’s Privy Council at ChoMUN XVIII, and an AC on Ching Shi’s Red Fleet at ChoMUN XVII. She is excited to continue her reign at ChoMUN XX!